STORY: This ship is collecting data on a volcano in Tonga that lies underwater. There is no one on board the research ship – it is steered from almost 16,000 kilometers away in south-east England. Ben Simpson is the Managing Director of Sea-Kit International, who built and pilot the ship. Ben Simpson, Managing Director Sea-Kit International: “We have collected a large amount of data that is helping scientists to understand more about it. With our third research mission, we want to understand the environment of the volcano a little more.” The volcano erupted in January and caused tsunami waves in the Pacific Ocean. The data collected with the unmanned vessel will help scientists understand why the eruption was so powerful and should make the impact of future eruptions more predictable. The research ship is 12 meters long. Without a crew on board, it is significantly smaller than normal research vessels and also uses less fuel. Ben Simpson, Managing Director Sea-Kit International: “The beauty of unmanned vessels is that the navigating bridge I’m sitting in in Essex can be anywhere. So we can really hand over the control that we have over the ship from this office to any other place in the world.” The research ship has already completed two missions, and the third is about to start near Tonga.